Car Stunt Goes Wrong in Times Square

By
Backstage Staff
| Posted May 4, 2009, 6:13 p.m.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – A stunt man filming a car chase in Times Square for a new Nicolas Cage movie crashed his Ferrari into a store front and two pedestrians suffered minor injuries, police and the film's producers said on Monday.

The crash, which happened early on Monday, was captured on amateur video that was posted on the New York Post website, www.nypost.com.

It showed two cars weaving in between other traffic before the front one skidded out of control, mounting the sidewalk and crashing into the window of an outlet of an Italian chain restaurant.

Normal traffic in Times Square had been shut down for the filming of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and all the cars in the video were part of the movie shoot.

Police said a 23-year-old man was hit by a falling pole and complained of a head injury, and a 21-year-old woman suffered a foot injury. Both injuries were considered minor and the stunt man driving the car was uninjured.

"On site production medics responded immediately and two pedestrians were taken to the hospital for evaluation," said a statement from the production of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which is a Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films production.

"One person has been released and while we were told the second person was also released we have not been able to confirm that," said the statement. "All safety regulations were followed and second unit filming will continue as planned."

Due for release in mid-2010, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is the story of a college student reluctantly recruited to work for a sorcerer, played by Cage. Set in contemporary New York, it is based on the segment of the same name from the Disney animated film "Fantasia."

(Reporting by Claudia Parsons)

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